The present invention relates generally to a system and method for providing redundant back-up to a video transmission system, and more particularly to a video changeover switch that can switch a video signal from primary equipment to back-up equipment upon the failure of the primary equipment.
A contemporary video broadcasting system is illustrated in FIG. 1. Here, video signals from multiple video sources 130 (130-1 through 130-N) are transmitted to an editing location 105 through transmission equipment 100. In a typical system, transmission equipment 100 encodes the video signals and then transmits them over a communication path or channel (e.g., a fiber optic or electrical channel). Finally, the signals are decoded prior to entering editing location 105. At editing location 105, all of the signals from video sources 130 are tested, edited and/or mixed to produce one video signal that contains the best or preferred footage from the video sources. The edited video signal is then broadcast to viewers, for example, from a broadcast site 110. Viewers desiring to watch the broadcast receive the edited video signal with a receiver 115 and watch the broadcast with a television or other suitable video device. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, receiver 115 can be an antenna at a person's house, the TV itself, or any suitable receiver at a head-end of a cable provider.
During high profile broadcasting events (e.g., the Super Bowl or the Olympics) it is important for the broadcaster to avoid any disruption in the broadcast signal. Transmission interruptions can cause embarrassment, loss of income and ill will for the broadcaster. In most systems, a critical transmission path for the video signals is through transmission equipment 100. If transmission equipment 100 fails, the signal being broadcast to the viewers may be lost. Possible transmission equipment 100 failures include the loss of power in the encoders or decoders, failure of the encoders or decoders themselves, loss of signal in the channel due to channel failure, or the like. Thus, there is a need in the art for overcoming possible failures in transmission equipment 100 to prevent loss of the video signal to editing location 105.